EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – As GM Dave Gettleman has rebuilt the Giants’ defense, the one big thing he’s been missing is a dominant pass rusher.

Then again, maybe he already has one.

There are high expectations in the Giants organization that Lorenzo Carter, their third-rounder from 2018, is poised for a breakout season and could be the dominant edge rusher they so desperately need. And he certainly showed flashes of that potential with four sacks in the Giants’ Blue-White scrimmage at MetLife Stadium on Friday night.

Yes, he was going against the Giants’ offensive line which did not look good at all. But he still showed a speed and power that he rarely displayed in his first two NFL seasons. And just as importantly, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham had him lining up in multiple spots to take advantage of mismatches and his sacks came from both sides of the field.

The 24-year-old was the star for a Giants defense that looked strong in their scrimmage, particularly up front. There was constant pressure from defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, and even some from linebacker Markus Golden. The Giants can only hope that it wasn’t just a product of their own offensive problems, and that it can carry over to the regular season.

Here are some more observations from the Giants’ Blue-White scrimmage:

- It was not a strong night for the Giants’ offensive line. They didn’t just have their hands full with Carter. Quarterback Daniel Jones was under pressure for a lot of the scrimmage. And running back Saquon Barkley didn’t find room to run until he was traded to the second team. Both right tackle Cam Fleming and rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas got beat for sacks by Lorenzo Carter and they all had their hands full with the defense’s multiple fronts.

- Big DT Dexter Lawrence has promised more speed and pressure after slimming down a little during the offseason. He showed a flash of that on the first play of the game when he got good pressure and batted down QB Daniel Jones’ first pass at the line of scrimmage.

- Maybe it was all the pressure, or maybe it was the rain, but Jones wasn’t particularly sharp. He did connect on a long pass to WR Darius Slayton, but he couldn’t get the first-team offense in gear at all. They had four first-half series and punted three times. The only touchdown was scored by the Giants’ second-team offense. Jones played only the first half and in five series the starting offense had one field goal drive, three punts, and another drive that ended with a fumble.

- There’s some much-needed depth in the running back group. Wayne Gallman, who has had a decent camp so far, ripped off a 43-yard touchdown run while running with the second-team offense (behind a nice block from rookie guard Shane Lemieux). He also had a touchdown catch in the second half from quarterback Cooper Rush. And then there’s Dion Lewis, who’ll get plenty of action as a third-down back, showing off some of his moves in the open field. He was oft-targeted by QB Colt McCoy, playing with the second team.

- LB Ryan Connelly was out with the second-team defense, which is good news because the Giants need him. He had missed a few days of practice and, of course, he’s still working his way back from an ACL tear last season. The loss of David Mayo (torn meniscus) left the Giants with a very young linebacking corps. It’s also worth noting that Blake Martinez missed this scrimmage with an undisclosed injury, too.

- Rookie LB Tae Crowder broke up a nice pass in the second quarter of the scrimmage intended for RB Dion Lewis. “Mr. Irrelevant” has proven to be outstanding in coverage in training camp. He may find himself with more than just a special teams role this season.

- TE Evan Engram, who has looked good this summer as he works his way back from foot surgery, did not play. No reason was announced. … CB Darnay Holmes suffered a “lower body” injury in the second half, but he remained on the sidelined and the injury did not seem significant.

- New kicker Graham Gano was perfect on three field goal attempts, including a 41-yard game-winner that gave the Blue Team (the offense) a 23-22 win over the White Team (the defense). … If you’re wondering how the defense got 22 points, all I can say is it’s very, very complicated and you’ll need a calculator to figure it out.

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